The Jump

The Jump is a British television series that followed celebrities as they tried to master various winter sports including skeleton, bobsleigh, snowskates, ski cross, and giant slalom. Davina McCall and Alex Brooker presented the first series, with McCall returning for future series. Brooker did not return for future series however. Winter Olympic skier Graham Bell and skeleton gold medallist Amy Williams put the celebrities through training in the UK and Austria. Britain's first Olympic ski jumper, Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, appears live on the show to demonstrate the ski jump.[1]

The Jump
Genre	Reality Sports
Presented by	Davina McCall Alex Brooker
Starring	Graham Bell Amy Williams Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards Jenny Jones Lizzy Yarnold
Composer(s)	David Lowe
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	4
No. of episodes	25
Production
Executive producer(s)	Melanie Leach Andrew Mackenzie Rachel Watson Tony Moulsdale Abigail Adams Caroline Davies
Production location(s)	Various locations in Austria
Running time	60–80 minutes (inc. adverts)
Production company(s)	Twofour and Motion Content Group
Distributor	ITV Studios
Release
Original network	Channel 4
Picture format	HDTV
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	26 January 2014 (2014-01-26) – 12 March 2017
Chronology
Related shows	The Games Famous and Fearless Splash!
External links
Website
Production website

The first series was won by singer Joe McElderry on 3 February 2014.[2] In March 2014, Channel 4's chief creative officer, Jay Hunt said she was keen to renew the show for a second series.[3] On 1 September 2014, Channel 4 confirmed that it had renewed the show for a second series in 2015.[4] The second series was won by reality television star Joey Essex.

On 28 April 2015, Channel 4 renewed the show for a third series that began on 31 January 2016.[5] The third series concluded on 6 March 2016 with retired rugby union player Ben Cohen winning the series, despite this the series suffered controversy due to it containing the highest amount of injuries/withdrawals out of all the 4 series. Despite reports that the show would be cancelled after the third series due to low ratings and poor views, on 13 July 2016 it was confirmed that the show would be once again renewed for a fourth series,[6] that started on 5 February 2017 and ended 12 March with Spencer Matthews winning.

In July 2017 Channel 4 announced that the show was to be temporarily rested and would not be returning in 2018, it was expected to return for a fifth series in early 2019. However this never happened and in December 2018 Channel 4 confirmed via Twitter that the show had been axed and would not be returning.[7]

Format

The show was broadcast live on public service broadcaster Channel 4, from Innsbruck and Kühtai in Austria. Each night, the two celebrities that record the slowest time or speed in each event face a live ski jump to keep their place in the competition. The events take place in different locations in Austria and are pre-recorded, so the celebrities do not know their times when they complete the event.

The show's working title was The Alpine Games.[8] It was initially taken to ITV in 2012, but was declined after it was deemed "too dangerous" by chiefs.[9]

On the Piste

On 20 January 2015, it was announced that a new spin-off show would air on sister channel E4. The show, called The Jump: On the Piste is hosted by Cherry Healey and features interviews with the celebrities as well as unseen footage and special guests.[10] The show did not return for the future series.

Main series results

To date, four series have been broadcast as summarised below;

Series	Start date	End date	Episodes	Winner	Runner-up	Third place	Hosts	Mentors
1	26 January 2014	3 February 2014	8	Joe McElderry	Donal MacIntyre	N/A	Davina McCall Alex Brooker	Graham Bell Amy Williams Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards
2	1 February 2015	9 February 2015	9	Joey Essex	Mike Tindall	Louise Hazel	Davina McCall	Graham Bell Amy Williams Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards Jenny Jones
3	31 January 2016[11]	6 March 2016	6	Ben Cohen	Dean Cain	Tom Parker		Graham Bell Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards Lizzy Yarnold
4	5 February 2017[12]	12 March 2017	6	Spencer Matthews	Louis Smith	Jason Robinson		Graham Bell

Series 1 (2014)

Main article: The Jump (series 1)

The twelve original celebrities taking part were revealed on 11 December 2013.[13]

Two of the original line-up withdrew from the show before it began. It was announced on 13 January 2014 that socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson had quit the show and been replaced by Laura Hamilton,[14] and actor Sam J. Jones withdrew the following day due to a shoulder injury. He was replaced by singer Ritchie Neville.[15]

Singer Joe McElderry and presenter Donal MacIntyre also trained as alternates in case somebody else pulled out.[16] Conway withdrew due to a hand injury, which led to McElderry joining the competition on 28 January (Day 3) after a live ski jump-off against MacIntyre, which he won. However, the following day, MacIntyre joined as replacement for Messenger, who was forced to withdraw due to concussion. On 3 February 2014, prior to the evening's final, Redgrave and Brigstocke withdrew for the competition due to injuries he suffered during training.[17]

The series began airing on 26 January 2014[18][19] for eight nights (except 1 February) until the final on 3 February 2014. During the live ski jump, the celebrities are given the option of three jumps – K15 (small), K24 (medium) or K40 (largest). The celebrity that jumps the shortest distance is eliminated. From Day 5 onwards, the K15 jump was removed from the competition.

Celebrity	Known for	Status
Nicky Clarke	Celebrity hairdresser	Eliminated 1st
Amy Childs	The Only Way Is Essex star	Eliminated 2nd
Henry Conway	Socialite, party promoter & fashion journalist	Withdrew
Darren Gough	Former England cricketer	Eliminated 3rd
Melinda Messenger	Television presenter & former glamour model	Withdrew
Sinitta	Singer & The X Factor mentor	Eliminated 4th
Laura Hamilton	Television presenter	Eliminated 5th
Kimberly Wyatt	Former The Pussycat Dolls singer	Eliminated 6th
Anthea Turner	Television presenter	Eliminated 7th
Ritchie Neville	Five singer	Eliminated 8th
Sir Steve Redgrave	Former Olympic rower	Withdrew
Marcus Brigstocke	Satire comedian & actor	Withdrew
Donal MacIntyre	Investigative journalist	Runner-up
Joe McElderry	The X Factor 2009 winner	Winner

Series 2 (2015)

Main article: The Jump (series 2)

The sixteen original celebrities taking part were revealed on 10 December 2014.[20] On 13 December 2014, Ola Jordan had to pull out of the competition due to injury. She was replaced by Chloe Madeley.[21] On 9 January, Sally Bercow had to pull out of the competition due to injury[22] and was replaced by Jodie Kidd.[23]

Celebrity	Known for	Status
Phil Tufnell	Former England cricketer	Eliminated 1st
Dominic Parker	Gogglebox star	Eliminated 2nd
Heather Mills	Businesswoman & animal rights activist	Eliminated 3rd
Ashley Roberts	Former The Pussycat Dolls singer	Eliminated 4th
Louie Spence	Choreographer & Pineapple Dance Studios star	Eliminated 5th
Jodie Kidd	Fashion model	Eliminated 6th
Stacey Solomon	The X Factor contestant & television presenter	Eliminated 7th
Lady Victoria Hervey	Model & socialite	Eliminated 8th
Steve-O	Jackass star	Eliminated 9th
JB Gill	Former JLS singer	Eliminated 10th
Jon-Allan Butterworth	Paralympic track cyclist	Eliminated 11th
Chloe Madeley	Freelance journalist & model	Eliminated 12th
Louise Thompson	Made in Chelsea star	Eliminated 13th
Louise Hazel	Olympic heptathlete	Third place
Mike Tindall	Former England rugby player	Runner-up
Joey Essex	The Only Way Is Essex star	Winner

Series 3 (2016)

Main article: The Jump (series 3)

The third series of The Jump began airing on 31 January 2016 on Channel 4.[24] it airs weekly instead of its usual nightly format.[25] Twelve celebrity competitors are taking part in this series with the full line up being confirmed on 16 January 2016.[26] Tom Parker and Gemma Merna were confirmed as standby competitors in case of injury.[27] On 4 February, Tina Hobley was forced to withdraw from the competition after dislocating her elbow[28] and was replaced by Parker.[29] On 8 February, it was announced that Linford Christie could be forced to withdraw as well due to a hamstring injury.[30] The following day, it was announced that Mark-Francis Vandelli was forced to withdraw after fracturing his ankle.[31] On 11 February, it was confirmed that Christie would also leave the competition with previously eliminated contestant James Argent as his replacement.[32]

Celebrity	Known for	Status
Louisa Lytton	EastEnders actress	Eliminated 1st
Tina Hobley	Holby City actress	Withdrew
Rebecca Adlington	Olympic freestyle swimmer	Withdrew
Beth Tweddle	Olympic artistic gymnast	Withdrew
Mark-Francis Vandelli	Made in Chelsea star	Withdrew
Linford Christie	Olympic sprinter	Withdrew
James "Arg" Argent	The Only Way Is Essex star	Eliminated 2nd
Joe Swash	EastEnders actor & television presenter	Eliminated 3rd
Sarah Harding	Girls Aloud singer & actress	Withdrew
Heather Mills	Businesswoman & animal rights activist	Withdrew
Brian McFadden	Westlife singer & television presenter	Eliminated 4th
Tamara Beckwith	Socialite	Eliminated 5th
Sid Owen	EastEnders actor & singer	Eliminated 6th
Tom Parker	The Wanted singer	Third place
Dean Cain	The New Adventures of Superman actor	Runner-up
Ben Cohen	Former England rugby player	Winner

Series 4 (2017)

Main article: The Jump (series 4)

The fourth and final series of The Jump began on 5 February 2017 on Channel 4, and it was shown over six weeks. The first five celebrity contestants taking part in the series were announced on 16 November 2016. On 2 December 2016, reality TV star Lydia Bright was the sixth contestant revealed.[33] On 11 December, Josie Gibson was the next celebrity to be revealed. The full line-up was confirmed by Channel 4 on 3 January 2017.[34] It was confirmed on 2 February 2017 that model and DJ Vogue Williams had to pull out of the show due to a knee injury; she was replaced by Amy Willerton.

Celebrity	Known for	Status
Josie Gibson	Big Brother 11 winner	Eliminated 1st
Mark Dolan	Comedian & television presenter	Eliminated 2nd
Robbie Fowler	Former England footballer	Eliminated 3rd
Sir Bradley Wiggins	Cycling legend	Withdrew
Jade Jones	Olympic taekwondo athlete	Eliminated 4th
Caprice Bourret	Model and businesswoman	Withdrew
Gareth Thomas	Former Welsh rugby player	Withdrew
Emma Parker Bowles	Motoring correspondent	Eliminated 5th
Lydia Bright	The Only Way Is Essex star	Eliminated 6th
Kadeena Cox	Paralympic athlete and cyclist	Eliminated 7th
Amy Willerton	Miss Universe Great Britain 2013	Eliminated 8th
Jason Robinson	Former England rugby captain	Third place
Louis Smith	Olympic artistic gymnast	Runner-up
Spencer Matthews	Made in Chelsea star	Winner

Reception

Critical reception

The Jump received negative reviews from viewers and critics alike. Sally Newall of The Independent called it "a bonkers, scary mash-up of Big Brother and Ski Sunday",[35] whilst Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy said "It was more painful than a snowball in the mouth."[36] In a one-star review, The Daily Telegraph's Michael Hogan said that "We were promised celebrities risking life and limb on The Jump. What we actually got was publicity-seeking C-listers plopping off a ski jump so small that it could double as a speed bump or playground slide. It all put the anti-climactic icing on a deeply disappointing cake."[37] Jonathan Whiley said that, "This is reality TV taken to its limits; manufactured, emotionless crap wheeled out through desperation. I'm usually all for that mind, providing it throws up entertainment which this, sadly, lacks from start to finish."[38]

During series 3, several viewers demanded that the show be cancelled following the reported injuries of three castmembers in just the first two weeks of filming.[39] Tina Hobley suffered a dislocated elbow on 4 February.[40] She was released, but has left the competition.[41] On 7 February, it was announced that Rebecca Adlington would leave the show following a dislocated shoulder and Beth Tweddle would also leave the show following a back injury. Similarly, Tom Parker tore ligaments in his hand.[42]

Ratings

Official ratings are taken from BARB,[43] but do not include Channel 4 +1.

Series	Start date		End date		Series average (millions)
	Air date	Official rating (millions)[43]	Air date	Official rating (millions)[43]
1	26 January 2014	2.62	3 February 2014	1.89	2.16
2	1 February 2015	2.85	9 February 2015	2.06	2.13
3	31 January 2016	2.41	6 March 2016	1.87	2.05
4	5 February 2017	2.83	12 March 2017	1.88	2.16

References

1. "Channel 4 revealed the famous faces preparing to take The Jump". Channel 4 Press. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
2. Eames, Tom (3 February 2014). "Joe McElderry wins Channel 4's The Jump". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
3. Wightman, Catriona (10 March 2014). "The Jump: Channel 4 boss Jay Hunt keen to renew winter sports show". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
4. Eames, Tom (1 September 2014). "Channel 4 recommissions The Jump for a second series". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
5. Catriona Wightman (28 April 2015). "The Jump has been renewed for a third and final series by Channel 4". Digital Spy.
6. "The Jump is coming back to Channel 4 for a fourth season". Newsbeat. BBC Online. 13 July 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
7. 4Viewers [@4Viewers] (10 December 2018). "Sorry James. We have no info on another series of #TheJump at this time but we will definitely pass on your interest" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
8. "Channel 4 hits the piste with live TV series The Alpine Games (w/t)". Channel 4 Press. 6 September 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
9. Methven, Nicola (25 January 2014). "ITV rejected Channel 4's The Jump two years ago for being "too dangerous"". Daily Mirror. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
10. Wightman, Catriona (20 January 2015). "The Jump: Cherry Healey to host E4 sister show On The Piste - The Jump News - Reality TV". Digital Spy. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
11. "The Jump". RadioTimes.
12. "The Jump - what time is it on TV? Episode 1 Series 4 cast list and preview".
13. Wightman, Catriona (11 December 2013). "Steve Redgrave, my Childs, Sinitta for C4 winter sports show The Jump". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
14. Eames, Tom (13 January 2014). "Tara Palmer-Tomkinson quits Channel 4's The Jump, Laura Hamilton joins". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
15. Wightman, Catriona (14 January 2014). "The Jump: Sam Jones out with injury, 5ive's Ritchie Neville steps in". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
16. Daly, Emma (26 January 2014). "The Jump: Singer Joe McElderry and journalist Donal MacIntyre on standby". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
17. Denham, Jess (3 February 2014). "The Jump: Sir Steve Redgrave pulls out of Channel 4 final after training injuries". The Independent. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
18. Grahama, Allison. "The Jump Series 1 - Episode 1". Radio Times. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
19. Scott, Matt (15 January 2014). "Confirmed: C5 moves Celeb BB final to Tuesday 28th". bbspy. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
20. Harris, Jamie (10 December 2014). "Channel 4 reveals lineup for The Jump 2015: Joey Essex, Heather Mills, more". Digital Spy. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
21. Hegarty, Tasha (13 December 2014). "Strictly's Ola Jordan pulls out of The Jump after accident in training". Digital Spy. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
22. Rigby, Sam (9 January 2015). "The Jump: Sally Bercow pulls out of Channel 4 show with fractured ribs". Digital Spy. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
23. Rigby, Sam (9 January 2015). "The Jump: Jodie Kidd to replace injured Sally Bercow". Digital Spy. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
24. "The Jump set to return to Channel 4 for third series - Channel 4 - Info - Press".
25. Darvill, Josh (18 January 2016). "The Jump 2016 to air weekly for its third series". Tellymix. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
26. "The Jump lineup confirmed as 12 famous faces prepare to hit the slopes - Channel 4 - Info - Press".
27. Ben Lee (19 January 2016). "The Jump: The Wanted's Tom Parker and Gemma Merna brought in on standby". Digital Spy.
28. Hannah Hope (4 February 2016). "The Jump star Tina Hobley forced to pull out of show after dislocating her elbow". mirror.
29. Catriona Wightman (5 February 2016). "The Jump: The Wanted's Tom Parker will replace Tina Hobley on the show". Digital Spy.
30. Jack Shepherd (8 February 2016). "The Jump: Linford Christie becomes fourth contestant to require treatment in two weeks". The Independent.
31. "Mark-Francis Vandelli leaves The Jump after fracturing ankle". the Guardian.
32. Justin Harp (11 February 2016). "Linford Christie is leaving The Jump because of injury now too - with James Argent jumping in as a replacement". Digital Spy.
33. "'The Jump' Signs Up 'TOWIE' Star For New Series". 2 December 2016.
34. "Sir Bradley Wiggins to compete in The Jump". Channel 4. 3 January 2017.
35. Newall, Sally (27 January 2014). "A bonkers, scary mash-up of Big Brother and Ski Sunday". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
36. Fletcher, Alex (26 January 2014). "The Jump review: Worse than a snowball in the mouth". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
37. Hogan, Michael (27 January 2014). "The Jump, Channel 4: episode one review". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
38. Whiley, Jonathan (27 January 2014). "TV review: Channel 4's The Jump with Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards is off-piste from start to finish". Gloucestershire Echo. Local World. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
39. Jack Shepherd (8 February 2016). "The Jump: Viewers ask Channel 4 to scrap show as Beth Tweddle, Rebecca Adlington and Tina Hobley hospitalised in less than two weeks". The Independent.
40. Hannah Hope (5 February 2016). "Shocking moment The Jump star Tina Hobley dislocated her elbow after horror fall". Daily Mirror.
41. Huw Fullerton. "The Jump injuries continue: Tina Hobley leaves Channel 4 series". RadioTimes.
42. Rebecca Pocklington (2 February 2016). "Tom Parker rips ligaments in his hand after nasty tumble on The Jump". mirror.
43. "Top 30 Programmes - BARB". BARB. Retrieved 3 February 2014.

External links

• The Jump on IMDb
• The Jump at Channel 4
• The Jump at UKGameshows.com